Question: What Do We Do if Our Family Member's Mobility is Compromised Creating a Risk for Falling?
Answer: It is admirable that you are proactive and understand that your senior loved one has a greater risk of falling.
Approximately, 33% of seniors who are 65, fall every year. From those who do fall, up to 40% of them will suffer head traumas, hip fractures, and other severe injuries. Naturally, as seniors move into their 70s, the risks of falling and the severity of the injuries increase.
The fact is that most senior citizens wish to remain in their own homes, and when that's not possible, they want to stay with a family member, or someone else they know. The elderly lose muscle strength and coordination each year. Women fall at a higher rate than most elderly men, but by the time they reach their mid-80s, men and women tend to fall at an equal rate.
Tips on How to Reduce the Risk of Falling in the Elderly
When seniors lose the ability to walk, or have other mobility issues, it decreases their quality of life. It can also cause them to lose their motivation to live. So, let's discuss some of the ways you can help lower the risk of falling in your senior loved ones:
Schedule Regular Exercise - When seniors exercise regularly, they help increase their overall body strength and balance. Having better balance, means that seniors are less likely to fall and injure themselves. They should start out by doing slow stretches until they can work up to various exercises. Always check with a physician before your loved one begins any strenuous exercise.
Install Grab-Bars - Grab-Bars can give seniors the extra support and balance to stand up from toilet seats. Many falls occur in the bathroom, and Grab-Bars in the bathroom and other parts of the house help seniors keep better balance.
Have a Plan - Seniors need to have a backup plan, just in case they do fall. You can provide them with an emergency medical alert device that contacts you or a doctor if they have any problems. You could also see that they have continuous care throughout the day. Someone needs to check often, and you can't leave seniors who have medical issues alone for long periods of time.
Vitamin D - Gilbert T. Chua and Roger Wong, MD conducted four medical trials and determined that Vitamin D helped reduce the rate of senior falls by nearly 44 percent. Even though it did not lower the number of actual first falls, it seems to have prevented many patients from falling a second time. Vitamin D helps with muscle strength.
Remove All Obstacles - Another important way to reduce the risk of falling is to remove obstacles. Seniors need to have a clear path wherever they go. It is necessary that you remove toys, small rugs that they might slip on, electrical cords and any other objects from the floor.
Increase Lighting - Most seniors' eyesight begins to decline as they get older. So, you need to ensure that you have better lighting in rooms, and you should make it easier to find light switches at night, or insert light strips to help illuminate the pathway in halls.
Control Medical Issues - You might also want to observe that your senior loved ones do not have any medical conditions that cause dizziness or a quick drop in blood pressure. Both conditions could cause an accidental fall. Certain medications or interaction caused by combining medications can also cause these side effects.
Risk of Falling - Conclusion
As you can see, there are multiple options for reducing the risk of falling in seniors. You can implement these suggestions, as well. Make sure you tackle these issues immediately in order to prevent any accidental slips and falls.
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